Wednesday, 06 August 2008

"IF" Challenge

I am off sick at present with a serious bout of flu, and got up just now as my back was getting sore from lying down all morning. I decided to finish of my "IF" challenge layout that Tracy gave us. The idea is more about journalling than pictures and this is the first time I have done a layout without any pictures in it!

Here is my finished product:


The journalling on the outside reads:

… I could start my married life over, is there someone else who I would have preferred to marry? No, because I am extremely happy to have such a wonderful husband as Dereck. I had been invited to my matric class Teacher’s wedding and didn’t have a partner and my friend arranged for Dereck to be my date. 28 years later, we are still together, having been married for 24 years. There was a stage in my live where I questioned my relationship, but that was me rather than any actual problems. Dereck is a wonderful support and I have had a lot of freedom
to do the things that I have wanted to. Dereck has always been there and provided for us and
we both have a lot of fun together even though our music tastes are “kilometers”apart!!

… I have to say how I am feeling about life right now, I can honestly say that I am content, happy and really satisfied with all that I have achieved.

… I could bring up my children in a different way, would I do it? No. I feel that I was strict enough but also gave them some space. I am happy with what both Leanne and Grant have achieved and I have a wonderful relationship with each of them. Leanne & I often used to go to
the movies and shopping together and now that she is overseas, this is something that I really miss a lot. Leanne, Grant and I have a wicked sense of humour and have had many good laughs
about someone else’s misfortune often to the horror of Dereck!

And the journalling in the middle reads:

… I could go back to school, would I study harder? No, because then I would have got into University and gone and studied at Rhodes as a Phys Ed Teacher. Instead I chose to go to Natal Technikon and did a Computer Secretarial Course. In July 1999 I bought a Run/Walk for Life Franchise and felt that I had then achieved my “Phys Ed” dream.

… I had the choice of sitting at home and watching TV or going out with my friends, I would definitely choose my friends.

…. I had the choice between chicken or beef, I would chose chicken.

… I had the choice between a sandwich or
a salad, I would choose a salad.

… I had to totally give up eating chocolate, I could not do it. I would have to have at least a piece in a month!

… the mind can dream it, the body can achieve it. This saying has kept me going
through many difficult walking races that I have participated in over the years. It has also made me more determined to prove someone wrong if they ever told me that I was not capable of achieving something.

.. I had to choose between tidying up or scrapping - the tidying up would lose 100%!!

… I had to eat pigs brains, or bulls testicles to win a million rand, could I do it – NO!!

… I told you my nickname at school was “Frog” because I put a dead frog on a friend’s hair and it got tangled in it, please don’t laugh out too loud!!!

… If I had to buy a cake for a function or bake one, I would definitely bake one.

"If " I had to sign off .....

3 comments:

Desire Fourie said...

Hi Michelle. What can I say, this is an absolutely stunningly creative layout and of course it had to be in your favourite colour mauve. Just love it, love it, love it .... And the journaling so so interesting and again I have learnt one or two new things of you, I would not have thought, but the best of all is, that you still choose scrapping over dust!! Well done, you can be very proud of yourself. Just don't know where your got your idea from and all this without photos. I think you should be off sick more often ... just teasing hey. Hope you are felling much better now. Love your GP friend.

Anonymous said...

hi michelle

i love the journaling on the layout, and all over your blog. thanks for sharing!

Beryldene said...

Hi Michelle!

Thanks for visiting my blog. Hope you are loving your new job! I am delighted you won the challenge as I also found your LO to be wonderfully honest, real, and filled with wisdom. Love the bling on your blog!

Bling mad Beryldene